Lancashire Mind call for more funding for suicide prevention

The death of Caroline Flack from suicide highlights that the need for suicide awareness and prevention is as great as ever.

The Samaritans reported that deaths from suicide rose by 10.9 per cent in the UK in 2018 and recent figures from the Office of National Statistics show that whilst suicides among young people are generally lower than the rest of the population, there has been a troubling increase in recent years.

Amongst 10-24 year old girls and women, there has been an especially sharp rise in the number of individuals taking their own lives.

The need for suicide prevention measures seems more important than ever and organisations like Lancashire Mind, who offer suicide awareness and Mental Health First Aid courses, will play an increasingly important role.

Lancashire Mind believe that suicide prevention should start before people are in crisis and that everyone has a role to play.

Karen Arrowsmith, Workplace Wellbeing and Training Lead at Lancashire Mind, says: “Awareness and prevention must happen in schools, in workplaces, within families and in local communities.

“Lancashire Mind has been successfully delivering suicide prevention workshops in workplaces across Lancashire for over a year. We have given over 2,000 people the confidence and tools to recognise and deal with the signs.”

Tommy McIlravey, CEO at Lancashire Mind, said: “It’s extremely sad that it takes the death of a high-profile celebrity like Caroline Flack for suicide and mental health generally to be talked about more openly.

“At Lancashire Mind we are trying to lead a mental health and wellbeing revolution, breaking down the stigma and misconceptions around mental health. Initiatives like our suicide prevention work go a long way in addressing the importance of helping everyone to understand the issues around mental health. If it stops just one person from taking their own life then it’s been worth it.”